Surgical splint.



R. D. MADDOX.

SURGICAL SPLINT.

APPLICATIQN FILED OCT. 19. IBIS.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

1 I I:- All 1 iii 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w NQ BN R. D. MADDOX.

SURGICAL SPLINT. APPLICATION FILED OCT. r9. l9l8.

1,298,529. Patented Mar. 25,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

amemtoz UNTTED STATES PATENT FFIE ROBERT D. MADDOX, OF THE UNITED STATESARMY.'

SURGICAL SPLINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lVIaI'. 25, 1919.

Application filed October 19, 1918. Serial No. 258,873.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

'1 '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. MADDoX,

major, Medical Dept., U. S. A., a citizen of the United States,stationed at Washington, D. 0., have invented an Improvement in SurgicalSplints, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any ofits officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, orby any other person in the United States, without payment of any royaltythereon.

This invention relates to an improvement in surgeons splints forsustaining a forearm and hand or a foot in position during treatment forfracture and other injuries to prevent displacement of the splint, whileleaving the fingers or toes free to be separated for the application ofseparate bandages, or dressings.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracter in which provision is made for supporting the hand orfootindependently of the fingers or toes, and readily applicable to eitherthe right or left hand or foot without change of structionally retainingthe swinging supporting member in position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterincluding a swinging bendable member adapted to be it bent over the footor hand to retain the same in position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnew and novel constructions and combination of parts as will hereinafterbe more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of theinvention- Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device applied to aforearm and hand splint.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the improved device applied to a foot splint.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation, and

F1g. 6 is a plan view, of the improved device applied to a foot splint.

The improvedsplint is designed to hold an m ured hand or foot fromlateral displacement during treatment, and the holding attachment may beassociated with any.

pressed into the required shape, and made of any suitable metal ormetallic compound, and when applied to a forearm or hand support, thebody portion is slightly curved transversely. WVhen applied to a forearmand hand splint, the body 10 is extended into a hand supporting portion11 and Wrist supporting portion 12, the portion 12 extending obliquelyto the longitudinal planes of the portions 10-11. When employed as afoot supporting splint, the surface of the body 10 will generally becontinuous from end to end and from side to side, as shown in Figs. 4and 5. A continuous pad of felt or like material 13 is disposed upon thebody portions as shown. The hand supporting portion and wrist supportingportlon are Wider than the forearm supportin portion as shown in Fig. 1,and the body am: the pad are reduced in width at the juncture of theportions 11-12 whereby recesses or depressions 14 are formed in the sideedges of the device, to receive the bindin straps.

When employed as a oot supporting splint, an arm or standard 19 willextend from the body 10 and be arranged to support a padded leg engagingmember 20, the latter adapted to be secured to the leg of the patient bysuitable straps, or like devices, not shown. It will be noted that themember 18 extends between the standard 19 and the body 10 and is thusfrietionally held in adjusted position.

When employed as a hand supporting splint the body member 10 is providedwith longitudinally directed reinforcing ribs 15, the latter extendingfor a portion of their length in the forearm supporting portion 10 andthe remainder of their lengths in from the sheet metal material of whichthe body is constructed. Pressed outwardly from the body between theribs 15 is a bearing indicated at 16, the bearing being locatedpreferably at the juncture ofthe obliquely directed portion 12 and theforearm supporting portion 10. The bearing 16 is preferably slighly lessin height than the ribs '15 as illustrated in Fig. 3, and pivoted at 17to the bearing is a thumb supporting member 18, the latter being ofsuiiicient width to extend over the portion of the ribs adjacent to thebearing, and by reducing the height .of the bearing the support 18 maybe pressed by the action of the rivet against the ribs and thus preventits working loose and at the same time causing the support 18 to gripthe ribs with suflicient force to hold it in adjusted position. Themember 18 is thus free to swing laterally to either side of the body ofthe device, one of its functions beingto support the thumb. The member18 is of bendable metal, so that after the hand or foot is in positionupon the pad, the member 18 can be bent over into the position shown indotted lines in Fig.

5, to form a stop to preyen't lateral 1novement, The hand or foot 1sthus held in po- I sition and prevented from displacement. By

arranging the member '18 to swing to either side of the bodyyit will beobvious that the device may beadapted to either the right or left-hand,or the right or left foot and without structural change or the removalof any of the members.

If it is not desirable to support the thumb or foot, the member 18 maybe left centrally of the body, orin parallel relation thereto asillustrated in Fig. 2.

When the device is applied holding straps or bandages, or both, notshown, will be passed around the hand portion and in the depressions14:, and thus effectively bind the device to the hand and arm andprevent slipping thereform. The depressions 14 thus operate as a holdingdevice to retain the straps orbandages and materially increases theefliciency and utility. Suitable straps, not shown will also be appliedto .hold the foo-t in position.

Having thus described the invention what is-des red to secure by LettersPatent is:

11A device of the class describedcommanuals patent may be obtained forprising a body including continuous forearm wrist and hand supportlngportlons, and an auxlliary support of bendable materialpivoted at oneend to the body interlationand a wrist supporting portion connecting theforearm and hand supporting portions and obliquely to the plane thereof,and an auxiliary support of bendable mate-rialpi'voted to the body atthejuncture of the forearm and Wrist supporting portions and swinging atits free end beyond the sides of the body. 3. A device of the classdescribedcomprising a body member including'a forearm supportingportion, a hand supporting portion and an intervening obliquely directedwrist supporting portion reduced transversely to form depressions toreceive holding straps, said wrist supporting portion and the contiguousarm and hand supporting portions having longitudinally directedstiffening ribs pressed therein, and a bendable thumb supporting memberpivoted to the body and adapted. to swing laterally thereon inengagement with the ribs.

4. A device of the class described com prising a body member formed ofsheet metal and including fore arm, hand and wrist supporting portions,said body member being formed with longitudinally directed strengtheningribs intermediate the ends and a bearing portion upset from the bodyme'1n ber between the ribs, and a bendable member 6- A device of theclass described comprising a supporting body, and awigid member ofbendable material extendible laterally of the body. p p

7 A device of I the class described comprising a supporting body, and amember.

of bendable material movable relative to the body and extensiblelaterally thereof.

ROBERT D. MAVD'DO'XQ I 1 five each, r ns the "Commissioner of Patents,'washington, D.G.

